Why Caius From Tron: Ares Looks So Familiar

The first reactions to "Tron: Ares" are in, and it seems to be unanimous — it oozes style, but is severely lacking in substance. In other words, it's a typical "Tron" movie. Disney's sci-fi trilogy has struggled to deliver truly compelling stories and nuanced character development throughout its decades-long existence. But given that each of the three installments — "Tron," "Tron: Legacy," and now "Tron: Ares" — have been right at the cusp of digital technology and moviemaking magic at the time of release, fans seem okay with the series being pure audiovisual spectacle.

Another thing "Tron" movies tend to do is line up an impressive cast of both veteran actors and some of the best of young Hollywood, and "Tron: Ares" is no different. Among those in the latter camp for the third film are Cameron Monaghan, who plays the Ares special forces combat program called Caius. While it might be difficult at times to actually get a good look at Caius given the helmet he's often wearing and the lightning-paced action he's typically involved in, there's no denying his actor has a familiar face. So where have you seen him before?

Monaghan's first big role was on the American version of "Shameless." He played the third-oldest Gallagher child, Ian, across all 11 seasons. Filming one particular scene in the frigid winters of Chicago left Monaghan fearing that his toes would need to be amputated. Beginning in 2015, he played twins Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska on Fox's Batman prequel series "Gotham." Warner Bros. top brass didn't want them to use the Joker in the show, so Monaghan's characters essentially became the "Gotham" version of the Joker. On the big screen, Monaghan has appeared in "Click," "Amityville: The Awakening," and Disney's "Prom," to name a few.

You may not have seen "Shameless," "Gotham," or any of Cameron Monaghan's other live-action projects, but there's a chance you'll still recognize him if you're a gamer. That's because "Tron: Ares" isn't Monaghan's first foray into a big Disney franchise: He plays Cal Kestis in the "Star Wars Jedi" video games. The California native made his debut as the character in 2019's "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," which is set five years after "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" in the Star Wars timeline. Cal is a reluctant Jedi with a troubled past — aren't they all? — who finds himself drawn into the battle between the Jedi Order and the Empire. Monaghan reprised the role for the sequel, 2023's "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," and he voiced Cal again in Season 2 of the animated miniseries "Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy" in 2025.

For Monaghan, video game work is now a lot more challenging and rewarding compared to years gone by. Actors not only voice their characters, they also typically play them via motion capture. Speaking to GameSpot ahead of "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," Monaghan raved about the advancements over the past few years. "One part that has improved leaps and bounds recently, even since the last game, is tracking eyes," he said. "Eyes are, obviously, the window into the soul, and the vast majority of what you do as an actor is performing with your eyes." Nowadays, it's not that different from playing someone onscreen — which Monaghan would love to do with Cal. There have been rumors about the character making the jump to live-action, though Monaghan is only concentrating on giving the best performances he can for the games. He said: "The most important thing at least to me is to just be able to tell a satisfying story within whatever medium we're currently utilizing."